Hands free beverage and key ring holder

ABSTRACT

A container engagement retainment band for resiliently securing selectively about the surface of a container with a universal clip extending therefrom. The attachment clip provides dual selective access portions for band engagement by deformable adjacent ring portions allowing for clip placement and positioning about the band and selective attachment portion access via displacement of aligned portion thereon dependent on user&#39;s need or preference use accessibility.

This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 13/852,224, filedMar. 28, 2013, a continuation in part of Ser. No. 12/930,059, filed Dec.27, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to bottle and container attachment devices usedto resiliently engage a container and provide additional utility fortransport, storage and multiple unit groupings.

It will be seen that by having a resilient container retainmentengagement band and an attachment clasp of the invention that acontainer of bottled water, soda or other beverage including, but notlimited to canned drinks and even cups can be easily managed by handsfree attachment to the user's person. This also would encourage personsto keep their drinks with them avoiding incidental non-user use, lossand misplacement and helping to maintain user's hygiene. The resilientcontainer retainment band could be made of synthetic resin basematerials as such including silicone or rubber materials having theneeded elastomeric properties.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art devices of this type have provided a variety of differentbeverage container engagement and carrying devices, see for example U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,138,882, 6,073,796, U.S. Patent Publications 2002/005418 A1,2003/0111496 A1, 2003/0127478, 2005/0274753, 2002/0005418 and2009/0293328.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,882 a universal carrier for bottles, beveragecontainers and other packages is disclosed having a strap-like devicedefining an adjustable container engagement portion and an integratedattachment loop.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,796 an insulated bottle structure is disclosedhaving a strap and clip configuration for selectively attaching thebottle holder to a structure.

U.S. Patent Publication 2002/005418 A1 is directed to a bottle connectorhaving an O-ring on which a bottle is received and an attachment strapextending therefrom.

Publication 2003/0111496 A1 claims a bottle carrying device whichincludes a bottle engaging member around the neck of a bottle with ahook detachably attaching to a support clip.

Patent Publication 2003/0127478 illustrates a bottle or utility holderhaving an O-ring secured on a bottle neck interconnected with a beltclip.

U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0274753 shows a bottle water carrying straphaving a wrist engagement loop with a strap extending therefrom having apair of circular flexible and resilient bottle neck engagement portionswith a bottle receiving opening therewithin respectively.

Patent Publication 2002/0005418 discloses a bottle connector having apair of O-rings divided into two adjustable circular segments that canengage the neck of a bottle.

Patent Publication 2009/0293328 illustrates an elastic band with indiciathereon that can be placed around a container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A hands free beverage and key ring holder having a resilient containerengagement band with a clip attachment ring and a clasp clip attached tothe ring. The resilient band will snugly fit around different sizecontainer bodies affording the user the ability to then selectivelysecure the so engaged container to the user's person by the attachedclasp clip. The resilient band can be marked with user identifiableindicia or color to identify the user's container from others. Theresilient band is of a dimension that will allow the user to place itloosely around their wrist when not in use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the container band and attachmentclasp clip assembly.

FIG. 2 is a section on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the container band retainmentclasp assembly engaged on a container ready for attachment.

FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration of the container band retainment claspassembly positioned about a user's wrist when not in primary use.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of a first alternateintegrated attachment clip assembly.

FIG. 6 is a graphic illustration of the first alternate containerattachment band clasp assembly positioned on a user's wrist when not inprimary use.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front elevational view of a second alternate formof the attachment clasp clip assembly.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the band claspportion in deflected open position.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged front elevational view of the first alternateattachment clip in band clasp open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a container retainment bandclasp assembly 10 of the invention can be seen having a transverselyflat resilient retainment annular band 11 capable of being stretchedbeyond its at rest cylindrical dimension and returning to shaperepeatedly. The resilient retainment band 11 is preferably made ofmolded synthetic resin based compounds which are well known andunderstood by those skilled in the art.

A metal “split” type ring 12 of a contiguous respective loop ispositioned on the band 11 to afford the selective attachment ofancillary items thereto. The split ring 12 is of an annular dimensionallowing it to be freely movable on and about the band 11 to accommodateany required positional orientation needed. While a variety of items canbe so attached to the split ring 12, the preferable use (as illustrated)is to engage an access clasp 13 as best seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings.Such access clasps are well known and are commercially available from avariety of supply sources and may be of different dimensionalconfigurations. Primarily, such clasps are identified by a contouredloop with a pivoting or deflectable movable arm portion 14 that can bedisplaced from the continuous nature of the clasp body 15 to allowattachment by insertion therewithin and thereto such as a user's beltloop or purse (not shown).

This allows for the in use retainment of a container 16 as seen in FIG.3 of the drawings to be resiliently engaged about its main cylindricalsurface 16A with the split ring 12 positioning the attached clasp 13 forselective attachment, as required.

The resilient band 11 may have identifiable indicia 17 thereon shownpositionally as a broken line indication on the exposed band surface 13Aas will be evident to those skilled within the art. Additionally oralternately the band 11 may be color coded to indicate different user'sattachment containers.

This indicia/color I.D. encoding may include personalized information,such as user's name, or telephone number, for example. It will thus beevident that such personalization will avoid drink user confusion andmistaken unauthorized divergent use by other parties. The indiciamarkings at 17 may be permanent or removable and reappliable dependenton user preference making the retainment band clasp assembly 10 reusableby others after initial use and personalization.

The synthetic material used for the band 11 may also be infused withphotoluminescent retainment properties so as to glow in the dark whenexposed to a strong light source for a preceding period of time.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the container retainment bandclasp assembly 10 of the invention can be seen on a wrist W of a user'shand H when not in primary container engagement use keeping the deviceavailable for use, as required and could also be used as an ancillaryitem attachment vehicle using the clasp 13 as the item engagementelement (not shown) and the resilient band 11 in reverse engagementorientation on the user as illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawing if sodesired.

Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the drawings, a first alternateform of the invention 19 can be seen utilizing a transversely flatresilient retainment annular band 20 and an integrated user access clasp21 as best seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The access clasp 21 has aselective access band engagement portion 22 and an integral selectiveaccess attachment portion 23. The band engagement portion 22 defines aband receiving ring 22A having oppositely disposed abutting shoulderportions 24A and 24B for forming a contoured passageway 25 therebetweenupon translateral deformation deflection thereof through which theresilient band 20 can be inserted and retained as seen in FIG. 6 of thedrawings.

The access clasp 21 selective attachment portion 23 has a loop formed bya pair of angularly disposed opposing elements 26A and 26B dependingintegrally from the respective shoulders 24A and 24B. The dependingelements 26A and 26B are interconnected by a cross element 27 forming aretainment receiving portion. The depending element 26B has a pivotedmovable longitudinally aligned portion 28 that can be displaced byapplied force of the continuous nature of the clasp to allow attachmentto the resilient band 20 by insertion therewithin and therethrough theconnecting passageway 25 formed as noted by shoulder portionsdisplacement retaining the resilient band 20 within the band engagementportion 22.

The access clasp 21 primarily allows for a variety of clasp attachmentpoints by insertion therewithin and thereto such as a user's belt loopor other ancillary point of auxiliary attachments, so chosen.

It will be seen therefore that the first alternate form of the invention19 allows for placement on the user's wrist W as seen in FIG. 6 of thedrawings as a general multiple use holder configuration. Also, thealternate access clasp 21 can be used for a variety of alternateapplications wherein a selective access clasp may be used functioning inthe same aspect, as hereinbefore described.

Referring now to FIG. 7 of the drawings, a second alternate form of theinvention 29 can be seen wherein a modified integrated access clasp 30is illustrated having a selective access band engagement portion 31 andan integrally selective attachment portion 32. In this form of theinvention, the integrated selective attachment portion 32 has an aligneddeformable element 33 as shown in broken lines which allows for theeffective opening of the access clasp 30 by the utilization of an areaof decreased transverse dimension at 33A of the element and theresiliency and inherent memory of the material so used which in thisinstance may be of synthetic resin material as is well known by thoseskilled in the art.

In this instance, placement can be achieved by pressure indicated byarrow P for access and translateral deflection of the shoulder portionsSP for both the flat resilient retainment annular band 20 shown in FIG.6 of the drawings as hereinbefore described and for auxiliaryattachment, as noted.

Additionally, the integrated access band engagement portion 31 has aflattened band receiving area 34 which conforms to the transverseannular band 20 configuration to provide a more effective integrationand comfort feature when the device is worn as shown in FIG. 6 of thedrawings on the first alternate form.

It will thus be seen that a new and useful and novel hands free beverageand key ring holder assembly 10, and access clasps 21 and 30 of theinvention has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that a variety of item engagement orientationselection can be used and that it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that various changes and modifications may be made theretowithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore

I claim:
 1. A user access clasp having a selected band engagementportion and an integral selective access attachment portion, said bandengagement portion having deformable oppositely disposed shoulderportions defining an insert passageway therebetween and in communicationwith said selective access attachment portion, said selective accessattachment portion has a movable aligned access portion for attachingsaid clasp to said selected objects dependent of said band engagementportion.
 2. The user access clasp set forth in claim 1 wherein said bandengagement portion insert passageway is movable from a first parallelaligned abutting shoulder portions to a second offset spaced opposedshoulder portions defining said insert passageway therebetween.
 3. Theuser access clasp integral selective access attachment portion set forthin claim 1 further comprises, a longitudinally aligned movable accessportion from a first aligned closed position to a second non-alignedopen position for attaching said access clasp to select objectsindependent of said band engagement portion.
 4. The user access claspset forth in claim 1 wherein said band engagement portion and saidselective access attachment portion are of resilient non-ferrous metal.